In the Dark, Waiting For A Search Party

My husband sent me a Carl Sagan video. It was only three minutes long, but a lot was said. And if I could sum it up, the best word would be "hopelessness".

 A thread of hopelessness carried out in Carl Sagan's thick, syrupy voice as he described the audacity of humans to think that we are a valuable design. He spoke about his wonder at the happenstance of light to start this world aglow, and the shame of humans evolving into creatures of faith and trust in a greater being.

 According to Sagan, ""We are lost in a great darkness, and there is no one to send out a search party."

Is that what we look like?

People sitting and waiting for a fictional God to find us? Is that the basis of anyone's belief system? Because if that is so, then we really haven't evolved much. We are lazy, apathetic creatures who expect life to happen to us. We sit and wait in our insignificant existence, according to Mr. Sagan's implication, hoping that God will show up soon.

 But, that is so far from the truth. And, as I have often discovered, God prepared my heart just on Sunday for this understanding. And He did it by retelling a story that I have often leaned into these past months.

Sunday's sermon touched on the story of the prodigal son. He walked away from his father, and his father, in all his wisdom, LET HIM GO. He didn't chase after him...HE DIDN'T SEND A SEARCH PARTY TO FIND HIM. No. He let him go into the great wide world, and discover for himself the heart of the matter: That his father offered him safety, love, and purpose, and the world offered none of it.

 If the father chased after him, sent a search party, dragged the guy back, where would the heart change happen? Could God rejoice in a slave...one who is forced to stay? Or, was Christ's parable of the prodigal son one that illustrates God's Holy desire for our hearts? He is jealous, for our hearts, He is merciful, for our hearts, and He is waiting, for our hearts.

The rest of the story shows the Father running to him in compassion because the son was lost (in his heart, in his place)...and the son was now found (as he chose freely to return with a heart of humility). No search party needed, just a homecoming.

This wasn't the post I was going to write today. I was going to write one about God showing up. Funny, huh? Perhaps, a bit ironic...but, then again, not really.

Because, IN MY FAITH, He has shown up. In tremendous ways. And it's because I have already come to Him and given Him my heart.

So I attribute His glorious works to Him, and I am aware of His amazing signs in my life. But for the one who is sitting and waiting for God to show up with a stone cold heart... Yep, I agree with Carl Sagan on that one: There's no search party coming.